Beet topper



'm a ma Nov. 8, W32. F. A. SHERMAN BEET 'I'OPPER Filed March 18, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet Zhmentot Nov. 8, 1932. F. A. SHERMAN BEET TOPPER Filed March 18, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet Cttomcu Patented Nov. 8, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRED A. SHERMAN, OF ASHLAND, NEBRASKA IBEET TOPPEB Application filed March 18, 1981. Serial No. 528,450.

The present invention relates to harvestin devices, and more particularly to an improve beet topper.

An object of the present invention is to provide a beet topper which may be used Another object of the present invention is to provide a beet topper with guiding shoes so constructed and relatively mounted upon the device as to automatically adapt the device of beets of various sizes and to guide the 1 device with respect to the beets so as to bring the cutter in proper position for removing the tops from the beets. Another object of the present invention is to provide a beet topper with a pair of relatively movable shoes constructed to engage a beet and hold the topper in proper alignment with the beet during the action of the cutter.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a beet topper constructed according to the present invention and as coupled to a tractor for propelf ling and operating the beet topper.

1 Figure 2 is a fragmentary enlarged top plan view of the same. I Figure 3 is a further enlarged horizontal section taken through the beet topper on the line 3-3 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 5 is a bottom plan View of the beet topper.

Figure 6 is a detail enlarged side elevation, partly in section, of the topper frame.

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the same, and Figure 8 1s a fragmentary front elevation of the beet topper, showing the shoes engaging a beet to hold the topper in proper alignm ment with the beet.

Referring now to the drawings, 15 designates a connectin beam which is adapted for attachment. at its rear end to a tractor 16 or the like. The beam 15 is connected to the bracket 17 on the forward end of the tractor by means of a horizontal bolt 18 and a universal block 19, the latter being connected to the rear end of the beam 15 by a vertically dlsposed bolt 20. Thus, the beam 15 is free to swing vertically and horizontally in practically all directions.

Beneath the forward end of the beam 15 is disposed a suitable bracket frame 21 which may be of web construction as shown for reducing the weight of the frame, and the frame is provided at its upper end with an attaching flange 22 by lneans of which the frame may be secured to the beam 15 by bolts 23 or the like. The lower end of the frame 21 is provided with a base flange or plate 24 which, as shown in Figure 7 particularly, is enlarged both laterally and longitudinally with respect to the frame 21 and carries at its intermediate rear portion an upwardly and rearwardly inclined base arm 25 which is secured by a bolt 26 or the like to the underside of a beam 15 in spaced relation to the rear end of the frame 21.

The base plate or flange 2 L carries a bearing 27 in which is mounted a vertical shaft 28, and the shaft 28 extends downwardly through the base plate or flange 24: for a considerable distance and at its lower end is provided with a toppin or cutter-disc 29 having a toothed edge adapted to sever the tops from the beets. Above the disc 29 the shaft 28 carries a drum or pulley 30 over which passes an endless belt 31 provided in its outer surface with a plurality of pins or fingers 32 which project outwardly from the belt and are adapted to engage tops of beets and the like to throw the latter to one side of the to per by the centrifugal action imparted to the belt.

The rear end of the belt 31 1s supported upon a spool or drum 33 which is carried upon a bolt or shaft 34 headed at its lower end to support the spool and at its upper end is screwed into thebase plate 24 in the opening provided therefor, as shown in sectlon in Figure 6. K

Disposed beneath the lateral edge portions of the base plate 24 is a air of frame arms 35 which are of elongate construction in the form of bars and which at their rear extremities are pivotally mounted upon bolts 36 which are secured through the rear corner portions of the plate 24. The rear end portions of the bars 35 are horizontally disposed throughout substantially the length of the base plate 24. The bars are bent downwardly and forwardly from the forward end of the base plate 24 to provide diagonal portions 37 and from the lower end of the latter the bars 35 are again disposed horizontally as at 38, but the portions 38 being disposed in closel spaced apart relation to the surface of t e ground.

The upper horizontal portions of the bars 35 are held ri 'dly to the base plate 24 after the bars have I een adjusted by swinging the same on their ivot bolts .36 so that the forward ends of t ebars 35 may be moved toward and from each other.

The topper is provided with a pair of shoes or runners 39 which are provided with transversely curved outer surfaces for engagement with the ground and which have their forward ends curved upwardly to pro vide attaching toes 40 which are pivotally secured to the forward ends 38 of the frame bars by bolts or pivots 41. The runners 39 thus trail beneath the frame bars 35 and they are held in alignment in a general longitudinal direction therebeneath by means of springs 42 which engage the inner opposite sides of the shoes 39. Each spring 42 is mounted upon a transverse in 43 which is carried across the upper ends of a pair of ipstanding ears 44 disposed at the opposite sides of each runner 39. The ears 44 are spaced rearwardly a short distance from the toe 40 of each runner 39 and the lower portion 38 of each frame bar is provided with an elongated slot 45 through which the pin 43 engages,.and in which the pin is free to shift during the various swinging movements of the runners or shoes.

The springs 42 are of such length and so :onstructed as to yieldingly maintain the intermediate portions of the pins 43 in the slots 45. Any tendency of the shoes to move toward each other is resisted by the springs 42 and the latter thus prevent the shoes from converging at their forward ends beyond the predetermined adjustment of the frame bars 35 The shoes 39 are also held in proper relation or ali ment during travel over the round, an particularly when riding over eets, as shown in .Figure 8, by means of longitudinal projecting ribs 46. In the resent instance each shoe 39 is provided with one rib 46. The rib extends from the upward forward part of the toe 4O downwardly and along the bottom inner face of the runner and terminates at the extreme rear edge of the runner. It will be noted from Figure 8 that the ribs 46 converge downwardly and rearwardly on the shoes 39, and from Fig- .ures 3 and 4 that the bars 35 and springs 42 serve as means for yieldingly holding the shoes in the general line of draft. The ribs 46 thus provide centering means for the shoes 39 and the cutter 29. In order to offer a lateral resistance to the runners at their rear ends and thus maintain the forward ends of the runners in properly spread apart relation, short ribs 47 are mounted upon the underside of the shoes 39 and extend diagonally outwardly and upwardly from the adjacent main rib 46, as clearly shown in Figure 5.

The forward corners of the base plate 24 of the frame are provided with a pair of arcuate slots 48 through which project bolts 49 carried upon the frame bars 35. The bolts 49 are adapted to move in the slots 48 as the frame bars are swung toward and from each other at their forward ends. The bolts 49 are clamped upon the base plate 24 when the desired adjustment is obtained so as to hold or anchor the bars 35 once they have been set. This adjustment of the frame bars 35 is to adapt the topper generally to beets of either a large size, an intermediate size, or a small size. The springs 42 are adapted to admit of the proper yielding of the shoes or runners 38 to accommodate the same to beets of independent varying size so that fine adjustments are taken care of by springs 42 while the main adjustment is effected by the bolts 49. The main adjustment is of course a fixed one after it is made but the fine adjustment is effected by the riding of the shoes or runners 39 over the beets themselves.

In operation, the beet topper may be propelled forwardly by any suitable means, the tractor 16 and its connections being merely for the purpose of illustration. The shaft 28 which operates the ejector belt 31 may also be driven by any independent means mounted on the frame, or by the tractor 16 through the connections shown. In the present instance the shaft 28 is carried upwardly through the forward end of the beam 15 and is connected by bevel gears 50 to a hollow shaft 51 in which is slidably fitted an inner shaft 52, the latter being connected to a universal joint 53 which is carried by the tractor above the universal connection at the rear end of the beam 15. This driving connection will permit of the swinging of the beam 15 in any direction without effecting the driving of the ejector belt.

When the beet topper is moved forwardly the shoes 39 trail from the forward ends of the frame bars 35. The frame bars 35 are adjusted into the desired spaced apart relation at their forward ends and secured in such position by the bolts 49 so as to dispose the shoes 39 in s aced apart relation to accommodate beets 0 generally the same size. During the forward operation of the topper these shoes- 39 are drawn over the surface of the ground and the ribs 46 engage in the ground and assist in holding the shoes or runners in desired substantially parallel relation. The diagonal ribs 47 at the rear ends of the runners engage in the ground and offer lateral resistance tending to draw the rear ends of the runners together but co-operating with the ribs 46 for stabilizing the shoes or runners 39 so that the latter will remain in the desired and true spaced apart relation at their forward ends.

During the advancement of the topper over a beet, such as shown at 54 in Figure 1, the toes 40 of the runners ride up on the beet 54 and the forward upwardly curved portions of the ribs 46 engage in the beet 54 and form grooves therein, and the ribs 46 thus fall in these grooves and the latter serve as guides to hold the shoes properly upon the beet 54 at opposite sides of the top 55 thereof.

The topper is thus held in proper position over and in line with the top 55 of the beet so that the cutting disc 29 is brought into proper relation between the runners 39 to sever the top 55 a from the beet 54. The severed top now engages the pins 32 of the ejector belt so that the top is clamped by the pins and carried backwardly and thrown outwardly from the belt, the side from which the tops are thrown being dependent upon the direction in which the belt 31 is turned and also the direction of bending of the outer ends of the pins or fingers 32, when the latter are bent, as shown in Figure 3.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is Y 1. A'beet topper, comprising a frame, a pair of spaced frame bars adj ustably mount- :d upon the frame and adapted to be swung toward and from each other at their forward ends, a pair of shoes pivotally mounted upon the forward ends of said bars for trailing therebeneath, and cutting means carried beneath the frame between said shoes.

means for yieldingly holding the shoes in a general straight line path beneath the frame, a toothed disc cutter disposed beneath the frame between said shoes, and means disposed along the curved outer surfaces of the shoes for engagement with a beet to center the shoes against the opposite sides of the top of the beet during the action of said cutter.

3. A beet topper, comprising a frame, a pair of shoes mounted to trail beneath the frame, means for yieldingly holdin the shoes in parallel relation beneath the rame, a cutter carried by the frame between the shoes, adjusting means mounted upon the frame above the cutter, and ribs disposed upon the outer surfaces of said shoes for engagement against the opposite sides of a beet and to center thetopper with respect to the beet.

4. A beet topper, comprising a frame, a pair of forwardly extending frame bars pivotally connected at their rear ends to the frame and adapted to be swung toward and from each other at their forward ends, means for securing said bars in adjusted position, a pair of shoes pivotally mounted at their forward ends upon the forward ends of said bars for trailing beneath the bars, a long rib on each shoe disposed at the under inner side thereof for engagement with the ground to hold the shoes in relative alignment beneath the frame and adapted to engage the opposite sides of a beet for grooving the latter and holding the shoes in proper relation throughout their lengths while passing over the beet, and a cutter carried by the frame between said shoes for severing the top from the beet.

5. A beet topper, comprising a frame, a pair of forwardly extending bars pivotally' connected to the frame, means for anchoring the bars on the frame when adjusted with respect to their forward ends, a shoe pivotally mounted on the forward end of each bar and trailing therebeneath, spring means interposed between the bars and the adjacent shoes for yieldingly holding the shoes in alignment beneath the bars, a pair of shafts .mounted in the frame and'pro ecting downwardly therefrom, a drum on each shaft, a flexible belt mounted on the drums, outstanding pins carried by the belt, a cutter mounted on the lower end of one of said shafts at the forward end of the belt and disposed between said shoes, and means for operating said shaft with the cutter for turning the latter and operating the belt.

6. A beet topper, comprising a frame,-a. pair of shoes mounted for movement in spaced relation beneath the frame and having transversely curved lower surfaces adapted to engage the round said surfaces bein rounded u wardfy at the forward ends 0 said shoes, engthwise extendin ribs mounted on the curved surfaces of t e shoes and converging downwardly and rearwardly from the up-turned forward ends of the shoes for engagement with beets for centering the shoes at opposite sides thereof, a. rotary cutter carried between said shoes for topping the beets, and means engaging the shoes for leldanglfyt' holding the same in the general hne of ra J In testimony whereof, I have afiixedt my signature.

FRED A. SHERMAN. 

